Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine and his Sodor Railway friends have chuffed out from the pages of Rev. Awdry's best-selling styoybooks and onto television screens around the world thanks to Brit Allcroft and latterly, HIT Entertainment. The translation has been deceptively simple. The tv engines are remote control Hornby-style models with interchangeable faces operated amidst train set scenery, with paper mache hills and sponge and wire trees - just like the tracks and sets you'd find in a rail enthusiast's loft or garage. It's not quite animation in its truest form, perhaps, but the Sodor Railway and the engines, trucks, helicopters and associates all participate in a uniquely-realised world that's more real than many traditionally animated efforts you might care to mention. Initially former Beatle Ringo Starr narrated the railway stories, but from the third UK season he was replaced by another scouser, Michael Angelis, who talked his way through to 2007, when former Bond star Pierce Brosnan took over the role. Meanwhile, American audiences have experienced a rejigged series, with new live-action wraparounds and cultural changes to the stories and characters. "Shining Time Station", as it's known there, has been just as successful as the UK original. And boy, what a success it's been. We're now chuffing along into the 12th tv season, with two hour-long specials, an "On Site" spin-off season featuring Thomas' construction pals, and a live-action feature film in the sidings... Thomas' original producers, Robert Cardona and David Mitton went on to bring us the series Tugs, this time featuring radio controlled model boats..... Sodor Railways Rev. Wilbert Awdry's Sodor Railway books have been in print for 40 years. He created 26 original works, all published in an engaging A6 landscape format, just right for tiny hands and appealing to collectors too because of their "miniature" feel. The stars of the first few books were, of course, Thomas the Tank Engine, Henry the Green Engine, James the Red Engine etc, with the Reverend's tales evocatively illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby. Then John T. Kenney brought his own twist to the artwork in books like "The Twin Engines", but personally, The Hound gets a kick out of the later works. "Small Railway Engines" (above), "Mountain Engines", "Duke the Lost Engine", etc - these explored lesser known realms of Sodor Island and its railway life and afforded artists Gunvor & Peter Edwards the oppurtunity to create ever more atmospheric artwork to accompany Wilbert's tales - tales which had become more poignant as each latter work was published and the great age of the railways passed its peak. Wilbert's son Christopher took up the pen when he died, creating 14 new Railway Series books between 1983 and 1996, whilst Brit Allcroft's series steamed from television to videos to licensed products and on. In 2004, HIT Entertainment snapped up the rights to the character, and he's still chugging on unstoppably through the Sodor countryside today, with 300+ stories filmed, thus far... A Fat Fact The infamous Fat Controller, so berated for his plump name, was originally known as The Fat Director. It wasn't until Book Three, "James the Red Engine", that Rev. Awdry revealed how his title changed to the more familiar version with the nationalisation of the Sodor Railway. It's also interesting to note how much press space was devoted to the American alteration of The Fat Controller's title to Sir Topham Hatt, but this in fact, was Rev. Awdry's original name for the man, who is namechecked thus in Book 6 - "Henry the Green Engine". Special Thomas We've had two Thomas "specials" so far, each with a one hour running time: Calling All Engines! When the Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt begins development of Sodor's new airport, those old rivals, the diesel engines are once more pitched against our chuffing heroes in an escalating feud that threatens the Island's very future... The Great Discovery Pierce Brosnan makes his narrating debuts with this very latest release. Whilst he's helping to prepare for the annual town holiday celebration, Thomas gets lost in the mountains and uncovers the lost village of Great Waterton...